**Type:** Insight **Growth Stage**: <font color="#00b050">evergreen</font> **Last Tended**: 2024-09-02 **Topics**: #highperformance #SelfAwareness --- >[!Directors commentary] >*I remember the bike ride I was on when this concept crystalised - probably the 100th time I had been over in my mind why I could take a 'win' from the day even though I hadn't hit every habit perfectly. I could justify and find the excuses why I hadn't been able to on some days, but today it just wasn't possible - which is when I realised, it's ok to forgive yourself those 'lesser' performances, if the momentum is still forward and progress is still being made.* **Abstract** I recently shared my experience with the 5am Club and incorporating the Victory Hour into my daily routine. The feedback and questions I received echoed a common concern: “I would find it hard to fit this in perfectly every day.” I certainly experience this seemingly transparent barrier to progress - the belief that if something can’t be executed perfectly, it might be better not to start at all. The truth is, I didn’t achieve my ‘perfect day’ on the first attempt, or even the fiftieth. It’s taken over 75 days to settle on a schedule that's right for me. Of those 75 day, I estimate only 50% have gone to plan. 20% were a more flexible alternative and another 20% I abandoned completely. Crucially though, maybe 10% I would call out as a 'perfect day' - and that is 7-10 more days than I could claim before The key to maintaining this routine is getting comfortable with imperfection. Consistency over time matters more than getting it right every single time. To help with this, I’ve created what I call a “ladder of acceptable imperfection.” Each rung of this ladder helps me step down from the ideal without losing the essence of what I’m trying to achieve: 1. Prioritise Quality Sleep: Without adequate rest, an early rise becomes unsustainable. I make it the non-negotiable, 1st priority to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep. 2. Embrace Flexibility in the 20/20/20 Formula: Life is unpredictable. 20 minutes of exercise, 20 minutes of reflection, and 20 minutes of learning can be adapted to different times if necessary. The key here is to try and tick them all off, at some point in the day. 3. Commit to the Victory Hour as soon as I rise: This hour sets the tone for my day, so as often as possible, I make it through the full routine. Sometimes its 5am, mostly its round 5.30am, but its ok at 6am too. The routine is powerful, but only when paired with a well-rested mind and body. By following this hierarchy I set myself up for sustainable success throughout the week. **#imperfection** **#selfimprovement** **#progressnotperfection** **#5amclub** ## Open Questions & Implications - How can I apply this framework to all my core habits? --- *This is a living document in my Digital Garden. It grows and evolves with my thinking and represents my personal thoughts and opinions, and is not part of my work at IBM. However, it is part of my desire to contribute a broader conversation on how we 'get things done' - exploring the impact of tools and techniques aligned to my mission to help individuals and organisations create the settings for sustained growth.* ## Growth Log - 2024-08-24: Initial seed planted - 2024-08-25: Major revision - 2024-09-02: Published on https://www.linkedin.com/posts/chrisjmoreton_have-a-ladder-of-acceptable-imperfections-activity-7234958892923777024-hEio?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop